“Emilia Perez”, a musical comedy about Mexican drug traffickers by Audiard

It was one of the most notable films of the last Cannes Film Festival, bringing its four actresses, Zoe Saldana, Karla Sofia Gascon, Selena Gomez and Adriana Paz a joint best actress award.

An eternal young man, who is afraid of boredom. Jacques Audiard wanted to write an opera, he keeps the codes that allow him all the audacity. Emilia Perezit’s the story of a bloodthirsty drug trafficker, who wants to free the woman in him. Unlikely premise, no matter. This man’s gender transition opens all doors.

“Since there is a transgender issue, the film had to change genre, go from narco film, telenovela, musical drama, melodrama…, explains Jacques Audiard. The more serious the subject, the more tragedy there will be, the more it must be sung and danced.”The film was not shot in a natural setting. Everything was done in a studio, in Bry-sur-Marne, the filmmaker explains: “Everything is fake from A to Z. We’re going to fabricate everything. Now, it’s starting to get interesting.”.

A show of 2h10 total, a score to the line for the main actresses. Zoe Saldana, the lawyer of the narco, Selena Gomez, the wife and in the role of Emilia Pérez, before and after her gender transition, the Spanish trans Karla Sofia Gascon.

“It’s one of the most beautiful gifts I’ve ever received in my life.says Karla Sofia Gascon. When I saw the script, I thought: what is this thing? This is crazy. !”

“It’s a candy that every actor or actress dreams of. With this film, I would like us to be seen as normal people.”

Karla Sofia Gascon, trans actress

to franceinfo

Latino melodies, reggaeton, Mexican rancheras… The music written by Camille and Clément Ducol, perfectly matches the choreographies, the lyrical scenes or the car chases. Emilia Pérez is a total work and a plea for tolerance, against hatred, as Karla Sofia Gascon recalled in tears when receiving her award in Cannes, dedicated to all trans people in pain.

@cestquilaboss Cannes Film Festival 2024 – Karla Sofía Gascón’s speech, the first transgender woman to win the Best Actress Award! 👏🎬 #cestquilaboss#cqlb #festivaldecannes2024 #lgbtqia+ ♬ original sound – Who’s the Boss?